It was agreed, therefore, that Lucien with Marengo should remain there, while Basil and Francois stole up for a first shot.

They lost no time in putting this plan into execution.

They perceived that the fight completely occupied the attention of the animals; and, taking advantage of this, Basil and Francois crept over the ground--sheltering themselves, as well as they could--until they had got within easy range.
Both arrived together behind a little clump of acacias; and, by a signal from Basil, they raised themselves together to take aim.

As they did so, they saw one of the rams, who had been backing himself for a rush, suddenly disappear over the edge of the cliff! They thought he had tumbled over--as his legs were the last of him they had seen--but they had no time to speculate upon the matter, as both pulled trigger at the moment.

Two of the animals were laid prostrate by their fire; while the rest bounded off, ran out to a point of the table, and there halted.
Basil and Francois leaped to their feet, shouting for Lucien to be on the alert: but, to their great surprise, the cimmarons, as if newly terrified by their shouts, and finding their retreat cut off, sprang over the precipice, disappearing instantly from view! "They must be all killed," thought Basil and Francois; and, calling Lucien to come up, all three ran to the point where the animals had leaped off, and looked over.